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Junkyard Gem: 1993 Cadillac Allante

The General's Cadillac Division had lost much of its status as a world-class styling and engineering innovator by the 1980s, while younger rich Americans signed on the line which is dotted for European luxury machines packed full of futuristic technology. Something needed to be done to win back the hearts of those buyers, and that something was the Cadillac Allante two-seater. Here's a final-model-year Allante, complete with one of the very first Northstar V8 engines, found in a Denver yard. The overhead-valve Cadillac V8 engine of 1949 shook up the automotive world, and the double-overhead-cam Northstar V8 of 44 years later had a similar effect. Finally, a high-revving, smooth-running modern V8 to compete with those pesky European and Japanese carmakers! Only the Allante got the Northstar at first, with other Cadillac models following soon after. After the underwhelming power output of the pushrod HT4100 V8s used in the 1987-1992 Allantes, the upgrade from 200 horses to 290 helped boost sales of the '93 to the highest annual figure ever achieved by the model: 4,670 cars. Unfortunately for GM, production costs of the Allante proved to be murderous in the long run. Shortened Eldorado frames were loaded onto specially-fitted 747s in Detroit and flown to Pininfarina's new Allante factory in Italy. After Pininfarina built the bodies, they got loaded onto the 747s, flown back to Detroit, trucked to the Hamtramck assembly plant, and given running gear there. GM called this system the "Allante Air Bridge" and it cost plenty. The cars looked both futuristic and Italian, which they were, but the Allante's price tag stood at heights far above those of the rest of the Cadillac line: $59,975 in 1993, or about $108,500 in 2020 dollars. You could buy a rear-wheel-drive BMW 850Ci with a 282-horse V8 and manual transmission for a mere 10 grand over the Allante's cost that year, or a Jaguar XJS convertible for just $56,750. The Allante had front-wheel-drive and a not-so-modern four-speed automatic transmission, which hurt sales among the enthusiast types who flocked to Cadillac showrooms for the CTS-V a decade or so later. No European machine of 1993 could top the Mars Base appearance of these vertically-arranged, all-pushbutton HVAC/audio controls, though.

GM extends production at Detroit factory until early 2020

General Motors Co said on Friday it had extended the production at its Detroit Hamtramck plant until January 2020, against an earlier plan to discontinue production in June this year. The No.1 U.S. automaker is revamping its operations, which include plant closures and thousands of job cuts, as it looks to boost profitability in the wake of declining U.S. auto sales. The Hamtramck plant will continue to produce the Chevrolet Impala and Cadillac CT6 sedans until early next year, the company said. "We are balancing production timing while continuing the availability of Cadillac advanced technology features currently included in the CT6-V — the Blackwing Twin-Turbo V-8 (engine) and Super Cruise (driver assistance system)," GM said. The plant has already discontinued production of the Buick LaCrosse sedan and Chevrolet Volt electric hybrid car. Detroit-based union United Auto Workers' President Gary Jones said GM's decision to continue production at the plant was a relief for the workers as well as their families. "We commend GM for today's decision and we reiterate the importance of a collective bargaining process in times like these," Jones said. Reporting by Ankit Ajmera. Related Video:

2016 Cadillac ELR gets more power, $9,000 price drop

Cadillac has announced a series of updates to the ELR for 2016 that promises to make the plug-in hybrid luxury coupe a more desirable proposition. Perhaps chief among them is a price drop of $9,005 compared to the slow-selling 2014 model. The news follows an announcement yesterday that the Chevy Spark would get a $1,500 price drop. Cadillac is quoting a net price for the updated ELR at $58,495, which is obviously substantially less than the $75k it was asking for the previous version. But it's important to note that the new price is listed after US federal tax credits. The 2014 model came in at $67,500 after the full $7,500 tax credit, so math tells us that Cadillac has slashed the price on the 2016 ELR rather dramatically by about nine grand with a new MSRP of $65,995. One big upgrade on the performance front is a 25-percent boost in output from the hybrid powertrain that marries a pair of electric motors to a 1.4-liter inline-four gasoline-burning generator. The increase is said to be enough to drop 1.5 seconds off the 0-60 time, now quoted at 6.4 seconds. It'll travel for up to 39 miles on electric mode alone, but with the generator spooled up will go up to 330 miles before needing to stop. The engine management software has also been updated and the regenerative braking system reconfigured as well, but GM's luxury division didn't stop at the powertrain, fitting the 2016 ELR with a raft of other enhancements. Visually there's a new grille with the marque's latest emblem embedded. The suspension has been stiffened, the steering recalibrated and the brakes optimized for better feel. Cadillac is also throwing in the previously optional Driver Assistance package of active safety systems as standard, with adaptive cruise control available as an option. And the infotainment system comes with OnStar, 4G LTE connectivity and on-board Wi-Fi. There's even a Performance Package available with 20-inch performance tires offering 10-percent better lateral grip, four-piston Brembo brake calipers up front to help reducing stopping distances by 12 percent, recalibrated dampers and steering and a thicker-rimmed steering wheel. Because of the higher rolling resistance tires, however, the Performance Package kills four miles off of the electric driving range.